Painter David Gallup Depicts the Channel Islands in Art Exhibit at the Aquarium

An exhibit of works by plein air artist David Gallup will be on display at the Aquarium of the Pacific later this month.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is exhibiting several impressionist paintings of the Channel Islands by artist David Gallup now through September 23, 2011. Gallup practices in the tradition of painting en plein air, a French phrase meaning “in the open air.” This style has a rich history in documenting the natural beauty of coastal areas in California. Over the past fifteen years Gallup has painted landscapes in locations around the country, with a special focus on nearby Malibu and the Channel Islands.

Gallup graduated from the Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design in 1990. He then spent four years as an art instructor for Mission: Renaissance, a private art school. In 1992 Gallup met Japanese artist Hiro Yamagata and soon became the lead staff artist on Yamagata’s “Earthly Paradise” collection. During 1999 Gallup painted sunsets daily to document the final year of the twentieth century, then selected one painting from each week to create the collection, 52 California Sunsets – The Waning of the Twentieth Century, which was exhibited in Los Angeles in 2000.

In addition to painting full-time, he also teaches plein air painting at the California Art Institute, and teaches color theory workshops. He belongs to numerous art societies, including California Art Club, Oil Painters of America, Conejo Valley Painter’s Association, Landscape United Nature Artists (LUNA), Conservancy Painters, and the American Society of Portrait Artists. He also serves on the International Advisory Committee for the Natural World Museum in San Francisco. His work has been featured in The Fine Arts Magazine (2003), Art of the West (2006), and American Artist’s Workshop Magazine (2007). He is represented by Montana Trails Gallery in Bozeman, Montana, and Morseburg Galleries in Los Angeles.